Ever since New Brunswick 3-year-old, Zaccari, was born, they knew he needed a new kidney. CTV News Atlantic originally reported that Zaccari was born with congenital nephrotic syndrome, a rare disease that is extremely damaging to a patient’s kidneys. His family has been waiting for him to receive a kidney his entire life, and finally they received the call that would change their lives forever.
To keep baby Zaccari afloat, the family had been traveling to IWK Health Centre for dialysis three times a week. Then they received the phone all from their doctor saying they had a kidney. The family was thrilled, sharing that it was an indescribable feeling that they’ve never felt before. Not too long before, they experienced the disappointment of a call about a kidney that didn’t work out. They didn’t believe it was actually happening until the family saw the kidney and Zaccari had the transplant.
Ashley, Zaccari’s mother, said as soon as they did the transplant he was “peeing up a storm”. Only a mother with a child that hasn’t gone pee in two years because of CNS could really appreciate this moment. Ashley described it as seeing their child “pee liquid gold”.
The doctor told her that the transplant had gone beautifully. The family is beyond grateful to the doctor and their team for performing the transplants successfully, and they also expressed their deepest condolences for the family that lost someone, a family that is also from New Brunswick.
